Alex Snitker’s Hernando Election Guide

Posted by Alexander Snitker October 23, 2012 Comments are off 171 views

Note: The opinions expressed here belong to Alexander Snitker. You are free to agree or disagree. Take this as the voters guide that it was meant to be and make sure to do your homework. They do not represent those of the Libertarian Party of Pasco County, nor the staff, management or advertisers of the 1787 Network.

Before I get to the voters guide, I would like to explain what my thought process was in this guide. It may help you understand the reason for each pick.

It was difficult for me to make picks because most of the choices are clearly not Libertarian. In many races we do not have good choices. Personally, I believe that you should vote in all of the races. Of course there are exceptions, but in general I want to vote in each race. I also think that getting the incumbents out should play a factor, but not always.

You should always look at each race and choose the best candidate regardless of party affiliation. If we all did that we would be in a much different position than the $16 trillion current debt and a systematic loss of our Constitutionally protected rights.

If you are reading this, live anywhere in Florida and are a Constitutionally principled individual, please consider running for office in 2014. As you can see, we are at a deficit of principled candidates from ALL parties. We have been to several forums across the Tampa Bay Area and it is clear that the message of liberty at the local area needs more voices. If you are even thinking about it now you will be ready in 2014. If you are interested in running please contact Alex Snitker alex@1787network.com or Adrian Wyllie Adrian@1787network.com

It is also a great time to get involved with Project Vote Count: One thing that we all should be able to agree upon is that we must be able to make sure that our votes are counted accurately. Right now, it is difficult to know how accurate the vote count is because our votes are counted in secret and on computers. As most of you know, there is abundant evidence that these computers have not worked very well in the last several elections. There is also evidence that thousands of votes have not been counted and evidence which may indicate that votes have been stolen.

You can get involved and become a exit poll taker and ensure an honest county. Go to www.projectvotecount.com for more information.

PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES ~ Gary JohnsonThis race is a no brainer. For me there is not even a question.There is no way that I could vote for Obama. He is worse than Bush on foreign policy. Obama is horrible on civil liberties. He has had more raids on medical marijuana dispensaries in 4 years than George Bush had in 8 years. He has violated the Constitution with his actions in Libya. This Nobel Peace Prize winner has drones in 7 countries. He under-staffs our embassies overseas and has gotten Americans killed. There is no way around the failure of this president.His economic policy is even worse than his foreign policy. He has taken crony capitalism to a whole new and disturbing level. Solyndra is the greatest example that government involvement just does not work when the people picking winners and losers are profiting on it. He has signed legislation that forces the people of this country to purchase a product of a private corporation or be fined by the government. Obama has also signed the NDAA which allows the President to detain Americans without trial. While this is completely unconstitutional, the Republican controlled house passed the bill and gave Obama that power. Unbelievably, Romney is not any better. He supports the NDAA, his best plans for the economy will only slow the increase. This means that Romney will continue to INCREASE federal spending (just not as much as Obama). It is my and many others, who believe that we must STOP the generational theft and balance the budget right now.Romney will not do what is necessary to restore this country. He is a big government Republican and there is no way that I could vote for him.There is also Virgl Goode the Constitution party candidate, Jill Stein the Green Party candidate, as well as others but like I said this one was a no brainer. Gary Johnson is the Libertarian party candidate whom I will be voting for. His record in public and private industry is excellent. He has the track record that beats both Obama and Romney. He is the only candidates in this race that deserves your vote.

UNITED STATES SENATOR ~ Connie Mack

This was a tough decision. There were many factors to consider before making this decision.Bill Nelson is a complete disaster. It may be bad karma to go against an Astronaut, but in this case there is no other choice. He is a lock step vote for the establishment. He needs to go.

At this point, I looked at the NPA candidates Bill Gaylor and Chris Borgia. I would normally prefer an NPA over a Republican or Democrat. Bill Gaylor was good on some economic issues but goes over the line when it comes to social issues. Chris Borgia is a good candidate and has many positions I agree with. He is a great person and I truly hope he runs again in the future if he is unsuccessful in this run. He is just not that much different than Connie Mack.

Connie Mack voted against the bailouts and the debt ceiling increases. His plan for a balanced budget is a good start but must be done quicker to prevent us from a currency crisis.

Connie Mack also voted against the renewal of the PATRIOT Act and the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (NDAA). We need to do better than Mack, but for this race he is enough to vote for.

US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 11 ~ NOTA

Dave Werder is not running a real campaign and has no real plan to fix things. He is against the wars and wants to bring our troops home which I would normally stand behind but he doesn’t have enough of a platform on anything else for me to see him as a viable candidate. On the other hand Rich Nugent has voted for every bad piece of legislation that has come across his desk and I can not support him either.

STATE SENATE DISTRICT 18

In case you did not know, the Democrat in this race has dropped out. This leaves Wilton Simpson as the winner. This race is another example of why we need more principled candidates from ALL parties to run for office. The good news is, this seat will be up for election again in 2014. We can’t make the same mistake.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 34 ~ Jimmie T Smith

Nancy Argenziano wants to fight corruption in Tallahassee. Aside from that one statement she brings little else to the debate. Jimmy has not been perfect but he has done alright in Tallahassee and in this race I have to go with him. He just brings more substance and knowledge to the argument.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 35 ~ Rob Schenk

Rob Schenk fought against red light cameras so he has stuck up for some civil liberties. He is certainly not good on everything but in contrast his opponent Rose Rocco is in favor of raising taxes every chance she gets and is for every EPA, jobs plan and any other social and economic engineering she can find so I have to say Rob has proven to be better then that. He is generally a good guy and as much as I think everyone in Tallahassee has to go I do think he could be one of the last ones.

HERNANDO COUNTY SHERIFF ~ James Eddie McConnell

This was an easy choice for me. The Sheriff of a county has one duty above all other and that is to protect the rights of the people. I have personally heard Eddie McConnell say these exact words many times. He also has good solutions for the budgetary problems facing the sheriff’s office. Eddie also signed the Oath Keepers Pledge and is the only choice in a constitutional sheriff. He has my complete support.

HERNANDO COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS ~ Elizabeth Townsend

Elizabeth Townsend currently works in the Supervisor of Elections office and is very familiar with the day-to-day operations of that office as well as being familiar with the responsibilities of organizing an election. I have spoken with her on many occasions and worked with her within doing business in that office and she has always been very fair, accurate and knowledgeable. Her opponent, Shirley Anderson, while having been an aid to a politician has no experience in running an actual election and I feel that her working for a person currently holding office can create a bias that we do not need in an office as important to our electoral process as the Supervisor of Elections

HERNANDO COUNTY COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 1 ~ Joseph Swilley

Joe Swilley is a Constitutionalist without even knowing it. His platform is based on the fact that we need more freedoms, less taxes and government out of our lives. Arlene Glantz has met a revenue stream she doesn’t embrace and every speech she’s ever made has talked about finding even more revenue streams without any thought that the revenue is theft from the people. Nick Nicholson is an establishment type republican who would just keep the status quo going in the county. This one has to be Joe Swilley.

HERNANDO COUNTY COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 3 ~ Jason Patrick Sager

Jason Sager’s “More Liberty, Less Government” attitude is a major contributor in my endorsement. It is not only Jason’s slogan but his driving philosophy. A Constitutionalist, he believes every decision made as a county commissioner should start with the question, “this provide more freedom or less freedom to the people whom I represent.” Although I do not agree with him on everything I believe he is the right choice for Hernando County and give him my full support and endorsement.

HERNANDO COUNTY COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 5 ~ Jim Adkins

Jim Adkins is a good guy. He doesn’t always vote the right way but he would be the first one to personally go to someone’s house and fix the problems that the government can not. And he has done it. Jim is always available for the citizens of Hernando County and that partnered with his fiscal conservative voting record makes him the easy choice in this race.

HERNANDO COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 4 ~ Robert Neuhausen

Robert Neuhausen has a plan for the school board that just makes sense. He proposes that school board members spend one day working in the schools every quarter, more parent involvement and round table discussions with students. He also has students in the school system which will bring him first hand knowledge of how things are operating. He is a fiscal conservative and has children currently in the school system. Gus on the other hand has no real plan and no kids in the system. He doesn’t seem qualified or invested enough to bring a needed change to the school board.

BROOKSVILLE CITY COUNCIL SEAT 2 ~ Betty Erhard

Another Constitutionalist and not a career politician I would vote for Betty Erhard. She is a newcomer to the political scene and is against red light cameras which is the major issue facing the City of Brooksville. She is committed to fixing the budget with spending cuts and not increasing burdens on the people and protecting civil liberties.

VOTE TO RETAIN FLORIDA SUPREME COURT JUSTICES

VOTE “NO” ON ALL THREE

Not one of them deserves to retain their post.

AMENDMENTS TO THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION

AMENDMENT 1: VOTE “YES”Health Care Services

SUMMARY: This amendment would permit the state to pull out of the federal health care program, also known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It would specifically prohibit laws forcing individuals or employers to buy or provide health care coverage. Some believe if this amendment passes, it could conflict with federal law and be found unconstitutional.

This is an obvious 10th Amendment issue, and the state should have the full authority to nullify any Congressional act not authorized by Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. This nullifies Obamacare, and would keep Romneycare at bay as well.

SUMMARY: This amendment would expand a special homestead property exemption to include combat disabled veterans who were not Florida residents when they entered the military. The discount would be based on a percentage equal to that of the veteran’s permanent, service-related disability.

Anything that lowers taxes is a good thing. We should eliminate property taxes all together but if we want to eliminate them piecemeal that is fine too.

AMENDMENT 3: VOTE “NO”
State Government Revenue Limitation

SUMMARY: This amendment replaces the existing state revenue limitation, which is based on Florida personal income growth, and replaces it with a new revenue limitation. That cap would be based on inflation and population changes. Revenues collected in excess of the limitation would be deposited into the budget stabilization fund. Once that fund reached its maximum balance, the revenue could be used to support and maintain public schools.

This waters down the existing state revenue increase limitations, and gives the state legislature more authority to bend and break their own rules. It gives them a green light to dramatically increase spending by making their baseline based on government spending, as opposed to private sector growth as it is now.

SUMMARY: This amendment would prevent increases in the assessed value of homestead properties and some non-homestead properties when the market values for those properties decrease. It also would reduce the annual growth assessment cap on non-homestead properties from 10% to 5%. In addition, it would provide first-time homesteaders with an additional exemption equal to 50% of the home’s market value. However, that exemption would drop to zero after five years.

While this amendment is not perfect by any means, it will have the effect of reducing real property taxes, or at least slow the rate of tax increase, for most residential and commercial property owners in Florida.

AMENDMENT 5: VOTE “NO”

State Courts

SUMMARY: This amendment would require Supreme Court justices appointed by the governor to also be confirmed by the Senate before taking office. It would allow the Legislature to repeal a court rule with a simple majority instead of the two-thirds majority in place now. And the amendment would allow the state House of Representatives to review Judicial Qualifications Commission files whether or not they were related to an impeachment.

There is a very good reason for requiring a 2/3 majority to overrule the Florida Supreme Court. Eliminating that provision would mean that any legislation passed by a majority of both houses of the state legislature would effectively become immune to court oversight. This amendment decimates the courts as a check and balance to the other two branches of state government.

AMENDMENT 6: VOTE “YES”

Prohibition On Public Funding Of Abortions; Construction Of Abortion Rights

SUMMARY: This amendment would block the use of public funds for any abortion or for health benefits that cover abortions. It would mirror federal law, which prevents federal spending for most abortions. However, this amendment would not apply to expenditures required by federal law for cases in which a woman has a physical disorder, injury or illness that would place her in danger of death unless she has an abortion, or cases of rape or incest.

Regardless of your position on abortion, I think that most people will agree that our tax dollars should not be used toward that end.

AMENDMENT 7: Religious Freedom – Removed from ballot

AMENDMENT 8: VOTE “NO”

Religious Freedom

SUMMARY: This amendment would overturn a part of the state Constitution that blocks taxpayer funds from being spent on religious institutions, including any churches, sects and religious denominations. The new language, replacing a provision in the Constitution going back more than 125 years, says an individual or entity may not be denied funding, benefits or support based on religious identity or belief.

Well, the title of this amendment, “Religious Freedom” sounds good. But in reality it should be titled “Religious Restrictions and Taxpayer Subsidies.” By allowing the state to fund religious institutions, we open a Pandora’s Box of unintended consequences and litigation. Though I firmly believe that faith-based charities and organizations provide a valuable benefit to Florida and the Nation, I also strongly reject those same organizations being funded with tax dollars.

If the State of Florida wants to ensure that churches, synagogues, mosques and other faith-based charities are well funded, perhaps they should cut taxes so that the people of Florida would have more disposable income to donate to the faith of their choice.

AMENDMENT 9: VOTE “YES”

Homestead Property Tax Exemption For Surviving Spouse Of Military Veteran Or First Responder

SUMMARY: This amendment would give a homestead property tax exemption to the surviving spouse of a military veteran or first responder killed in the line of duty. The provision would authorize the Legislature to totally or partially exempt a surviving spouse’s homestead property from being taxed.

Anything that lowers taxes is a good thing. We should eliminate property taxes all together but if we want to eliminate them piecemeal that is fine too.

AMENDMENT 10: VOTE “YES”

Tangible Personal Property Tax Exemption

SUMMARY: This amendment applies to businesses and would allow for an enhancement of the tangible personal property tax exemption. The exemption would apply to property, such as equipment or furniture, with an assessed value that runs up to $50,000. Currently, the first $25,000 of assessed value of tangible personal property is exempt from ad valorem taxes levied by counties, cities, school districts and other local governments.

While ad valorem taxes should be completely eliminated, increasing the exemption from $25,000 to $50,000 is at least a step in the right direction. The exemption increase will help many Florida small business owners. Since ad valorem taxes apply to all business who have tangible property, raising the cap does not single out any specific group of business owners. It applies equally to all.

SUMMARY: This amendment would authorize the Legislature to let counties and municipalities grant an additional homestead tax exemption for low-income seniors. The exemption would be equal to the assessed value of a homestead property, if: its market value is less than $250,000; the owner has maintained permanent residence there for at least 25 years; the owner is at least 65; and the owner has a low household income under law.

Anything that lowers taxes is a good thing. We should eliminate property taxes all together but if we want to eliminate them piecemeal that is fine too.

AMENDMENT 12: VOTE “NO”

Appointment Of Student Body President To Board Of Governors Of The State University System

SUMMARY: This amendment would create a new council made up of student body presidents from the State University System. The council’s chairperson would replace the current Florida Student Association representative on the state university system’s 17-member Board of Governors.

Do you really think that increasing bureaucracy will improve our state college system? Do we really need another council, committee, board, or department involved in education? And, even if you believe that this is necessary, does this sort of thing really belong in our Constitution?

About Alexander Snitker

Alexander Snitker is a United States Marine veteran and the first Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate from the State of Florida. Currently he is the Co-host of the Liberty Underground Radio show, Vice Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Florida, Director of The Liberty Empowerment Institute, Executive Director of the Save America Foundation and President of the Liberty First Network.
Website: http://www.AlexanderSnitker.com
E-Mail: Alex@1787Network.com